Board Agrees to Move Supervisor's Affordable Apartment Plan Forward

SOUTHOLD, NY — A plan aimed at fostering the development of affordable apartments in Southold has gained traction with the town board.

At last week's work session, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said recently, the town board adopted legislation changes to town code that increase allowable density for affordable units from the current six units per acre to 12 per acre, establishing a limit of 24 units for any proposal.

The initiative was first discussed by Russell during his State of the Town address in February."We needed to see larger density, especially since Southold wants to focus less on home ownership and more on apartments," he said at a recent North Fork Chamber of Commerce meeting at Peconic Landing.

The idea of building affordable houses was a good one, but not effective, the supervisor said, because not everyone on the town's affordable housing registry earns enough to buy a house; they don't have enough assets. Many, he said, are either young and single, or retired.

Now, he's moving ahead with the second phase of the plan, reintroducing an idea to the town board that went over "like a lead balloon" a few months ago, he said — the idea of apartments allowed as a principal use in the town's commercial zones.

Russell tdiscussed the idea with the town board at last Tuesday's work session.

Currently, Russell said, apartments are largely seen as accessory units; he helped former Supervisor Josh Horton create legislation that expanded the use of accessory apartments, Russell said.

When that initial legislation for apartments as an accessory use was created, the thought was not to lose commercial space downtown, the supervisor pointed out.

But now, Russell said, more than "110,000, 120,000 square feet of vacant rental space exists in Mattituck."

Vacant commercial space also exists in Southold, he said. "I think those hamlets could absorb some of the inventory," Russell said.

The reality, Russell said, is that one of the greatest challenges facing affordable housing creation is NIMBYism. "You won't see that type of NIMBYism in commercial centers that are not near residential communities," he said.

Applicants, he said, would need to come before the town to allow for apartments as a single, principal use in the hamlet centers.

The zoning board of appeals' process, he said, would meet current affordable housing guidelines.

Board members raised concerns but voiced general support for the plan.

Councilwoman Jill Doherty asked what would happen if the property started with affordable apartments but then, a commercial business moved in a few months later.

Russell said if that happened, ZBA's decision would be surrendered.

Justice Louisa Evans asked about septic issues.

Russell said the county is "slowly but surely starting to allow for alternative treatment systems" that would substantially reduce impacts to groundwater.

"I agree we need to move toward this. We do need the housing," Councilman Jim Dinizio said. When the idea was first discussed a few years ago, the town board "was deadlocked" because of the Suffolk County Health Department, but the county's approach is changing, he said. "We have other options."

Russell added that an applicant doesn't have to apply for six apartments, it could be as few as two or three.

Evans said currently, apartments are allowed as an accessory use in the commercial zones.

The supervisor said currently, with a "weak market for retail," those properties will be more attractive to developers with the option of affordable apartments.

Dinizio added that once you mix commercial with apartments, the units must be built to unique specifications and the process is more expensive; if it's all residential, "you don't run afoul of any building codes that have people living above a store," he said.

Russell said Chief Building Inspector Mike Verity had "indicated that the threshold was a little bit easier to clear when" the buildings were all-residential.

The ZBA, Russell added, can determine if a hamlet is becoming saturated and enforce special exception conditions; by providing up to six apartments the ZBA would have some discretion in terms of lot size and intensity of use, the supervisor said.

The board agreed to set up a code committee meeting and begin moving the concept forward.

At the North Fork Chamber meeting, Russell said while the town's affordable housing registry has about 100 names on it, "it hasn't been updated or a few years now. We will obviously want to undertake an update in the near future."

Some still ask why their hamlet receives all the affordable housing units, Russell said. "But at the same time, you have older houses, beautiful houses, and investors saying they can't maximize their commercial investment unless they knock them down or do something beyond the current scope of the code."

At his state of the town address early in 2016, Russell said his plan was to create 50 affordable apartments over the next three years, setting specific goals to shepherd the vision into reality.

The supervisor said he’s met with industry professionals who’ve developed projects in towns with no sewers, much like Southold; a community of 20 apartments is a reachable goal, with a recognized and approved sewer system, he said.

Developers have had difficulties providing affordable housing because they need critical mass, he said.

While some might say 50 units over three years is not enough, Russell said, "that's 50 more than we have right now."

Only 23 affordable units have been created in Southold in the past 11 years.

Public opposition can be reduced by ensuring the affordable apartments are scattered throughout the hamlets and in scale with the surrounding community, he has said.

“We’re not looking at projects that will overwhelm the community. If they’re well-placed, they won’t have the negative impacts," Russell said.

Another way to reduce public opposition is through a “far-reaching and ambitious effort” to educate the public about the programs — and the people the town is trying to help, he said

The town’s affordable housing commission has already commenced that effort, he said.